WSJ: Why College Football Is Studying MLS

[Water Pony]

Why College Football Is Studying Major League Soccer

"To Fix Its Mysterious Attendance Woes, the Sport Looks Far Afield—to Professional Soccer"

Fascinating insight, which should be of interest to SMU, as well as our fellow AAC programs, which are often in Metro markets.

http://online.wsj.com/articles/why-coll ... 1405556573

[ponyte]

This is a problem at many levels of football. It isn't just at the college level. Attendance is down for HS football as well.

[StallionsModelT]

Its all TV driven. Why go pay for a ticket, drive the stadium, pay for parking, sit out in the elements, drive home, etc. when you can watch it in crystal clear HD in the comfort of your living room. Better yet, you can flip around to about 20 different games at any given time instead of limiting yourself to just one.

[East Coast Mustang]

Its all TV driven. Why go pay for a ticket, drive the stadium, pay for parking, sit out in the elements, drive home, etc. when you can watch it in crystal clear HD in the comfort of your living room. Better yet, you can flip around to about 20 different games at any given time instead of limiting yourself to just one.

Yep. Only real advantage nowadays is being able to tell people you were at the game.

How do we make SMU football games a place people want to tell their friends they were at? Win more games, and play teams people have heard of before. An exciting style of play would be nice too- June was supposed to bring this but his offense, so far, hasn't really delivered. Maybe year seven will be different!

[DiamondM75]

Its all TV driven. Why go pay for a ticket, drive the stadium, pay for parking, sit out in the elements, drive home, etc. when you can watch it in crystal clear HD in the comfort of your living room. Better yet, you can flip around to about 20 different games at any given time instead of limiting yourself to just one.

Yep. Only real advantage nowadays is being able to tell people you were at the game.

How do we make SMU football games a place people want to tell their friends they were at? Win more games, and play teams people have heard of before. An exciting style of play would be nice too- June was supposed to bring this but his offense, so far, hasn't really delivered. Maybe year seven will be different!

Per Albert Einstein - Insanity is doing the same thing repeated and expecting a different result!

[skyscraper]

Been discussed here before, but creating a party deck area either in the north or south zones w/lots of tvs and beer garden w/food is a great option SMU should think about (would cost $$ though). Not the tents they had back in '04.

[JasonB]

It's all about being entertained. Quality teams, but also updated production and atmosphere. That is why the NBA is doing well... the DJs and all of that are about entertaining people in addition to the game itself. Rah Rah Shish Boom Bah doesn't cut it anymore.

I don't know if MLS is the best thing to look at. Frankly, there are a ton of people who work for FC Dallas who used to be at SMU and vice versa. They copy each others marketing campaigns and ticket production techniques. So, that sharing already exists.

More than that though - Keeping the intensity ramped up for a 2 hour college basketball game and 2 hour soccer game is a completely different proposition than keeping it up for a 3.5 hour football game. Additionally, studies are showing that younger people have a lot going on - they don't want to block out 5 hours on a weekend to go tailgate and then go to a game. Beer sales at the stadium help some of that, but it is still the length of the game is too long.

The only way college football will be able to match the intensity and production of those two environments is to literally find a way to shorten the game. The number of commercials between stoppages has to be reduced so that the stadium atmosphere doesn't cool off.

[East Coast Mustang]

The only way college football will be able to match the intensity and production of those two environments is to literally find a way to shorten the game. The number of commercials between stoppages has to be reduced so that the stadium atmosphere doesn't cool off.

TV runs the show, so that ain't happening.

[EastStang]

TV funds college football and hurts it at the same time. Conferences and rivalries blown up to help programming heads look good. Commercials make the in game experience more boring. A better model might be hockey. They limit commercials. They create excellent in game experiences. And they have 30 minutes per game of break time to go drink. Perhaps colleges might consider lengthening halftimes to 20-25 minutes to allow folks more time to socialize/buy food and booze during the game.

[LA_Mustang]

I'll be in Frisco Wednesday to see Aston Villa.

[SMUer]

MLS has got it. If you sit near these Supporters Groups, MLS games are fun even if you don't like soccer...that's the genius. These fans are so loud, so visible, with organized cheers, banners, flags that it beats the [bleep] out of watching it your living room. And if you love the team? It's like you died and have gone to heaven. The current SMU experience isn't better than watching it on TV...and that's a problem in uncomfortable weather and against "have-not" teams. Give them a fan experience that is unique, extreme and can't be matched by your 60" flat screen.

[Water Pony]

Seattle Sounders draw 60K routinely and most MSL Team enjoy near capacity crowds, 20K +/-.

Next week I will watch Chicago Fire play Tottenham Hotspurs. It will be an enthusiastic evening.

[PoconoPony]

Football has become booooorrrrring. Offensive coordinator vs. defensive coordinator with little creativity, spontaneity and originality. Player are merely pawns who are totally limited in what they are allowed to do. Average NFL game only has 8 and 1/2 minutes of total action timed from the snap of the ball to the whistle. Throw in too many time outs, TV time outs, stoppage of time for every incomplete complete pass, out of bounds and hideous and archaic rules. Football games are far tooo long to play and people no longer have the patience to sit around for more than 3 and 1/2 hours doing very little then account for the time spent traveling to and leaving a game. Couple this with high ticket and concession costs and the mandatory contributions per ticket to the booster's club for college season tickets. Bottom line, is that football needs huge changes starting with simplifying rules and the way points can be scored.

Football needs to look at the Canadian league and allow any offensive player lined up behind the line to be able to be in motion at the same time. Punts and kick off must be returned out of the end zone or points are scored by the kicking team, the current extra point is worthless. How about 7 points for a TD and the election to keep the 7 points or go for 2 at the three yard line. If you score you get 2 points, but if the play fails you lose 1 point and only take away 6 total points. If you want 1 point the extra point kick must be from the 30 yard line. Football needs the drama and multiple options that would occur with greater options to score and change the way plays are called and decisions/strategies coaches must make. Who cares if there are 12 men in the huddle so long as there are only 11 players on the field when the ball is snapped? I view football today as needing great changes much like the old ABA introducing the 3 point play and time clock which today are the most important elements in the game. Would basketball have evolved without the clock and 3 point line?? Football is quickly losing its appeal and fans and it is time for major changes to be made to inject some life and appeal back into the game. Unfortunately, football coaches are control freaks and will resist anything that causes them to make more decisions or adds more variables to the game.

[Mustangs35SMU]

I'll be in Frisco Wednesday to see Aston Villa.

Next week I will watch Chicago Fire play Tottenham ********. It will be an enthusiastic evening.

Just to add on, I'll be in New York Saturday to see Arsenal.

[PoconoPony]

Seattle Sounders draw 60K routinely and most MSL Team enjoy near capacity crowds, 20K +/-.

Next week I will watch Chicago Fire play Tottenham Hotspurs. It will be an enthusiastic evening.

According to ESPN the Sounders drew more fans last season than all but 5 major league baseball teams playing 81 home games.